Tooth brushes



Nov. 27, 1962 w. w. SEXTON 3,065,480

TOOTH BRUSHES Filed Jan. 4, 1960 l N V E NTOR S mz'ihand @amero/b ATTQ R N EYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,955,433 Fatented Nov. 27, 1952 3,965,480 TQOTII ERUSIES William Wait fiexton, 2G1) Marianne Ave, Wiliowdale, Qntario, Canada Filed Jan. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 123 1 Claim. (Cl. 15'-172) This invention relates to a tooth brush in which the brush portion is arranged in detachable relation with the handle portion, by which the brush portion may be set in longitudinal relation with the handle, or crosswise at right angles therewith, and furthemore at various angles, to facilitate brushing the teeth in various directions and also to reach difficult parts of the mouth.

An essential object of the invention is to devise a tooth brush by which the teeth may be brushed in an up and down manner without awkward twisting and turning of the wrist, as well as crosswise.

A further object of the device is to devise a tooth brush in which the adjustments of the brush to the handle may be a cooperative method, readily made and without complicated means of fastening the respective parts.

Still another important object is to provide a brush assembly without intricate parts to harbour germs and food and which may be easily taken apart and cleaned.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tooth brush showing the brush set at right angles with the handle, and in dotted lines in longitudinal relation with the handle.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the brush member detached from the handle.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the head end of the handle and the brush with the brush member shown in alternative position in dotted lines.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmental portion of the handle showing the method of attaching the brush at a right angle and at obtuse angles.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the brush with a hexagon boss.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective vieW of the brush adapted to be placed or arranged with handle at a right angle and at obtuse angles.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmental plan view of an alternative form for attaching the brush at a right and obtuse angles.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the brush; and

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the brush shown in FIGURE 8.

In the drawings A designates the handle of the tooth brush, and formed on the underside of the front end is a transverse channel a.

Formed in the opposite side walls of the channel a are grooves bb, and formed in the top Wall is a small indent or socket c.

B designates a detachable and adjustable brush member consisting of a body portion d and bristles e.

Formed and projecting upwardly from the centre portion of the top of the body portion cl of the brush is a boss or stud f of rectangular formation forming oppositely opposed ribs and undercuts g and respectively adapted to engage in co-operative relation with the grooves bb when the brush member B is fitted With the handle A.

When the brush B is forced into the channel a, it may be done sideways to co-operate with the handle in longitudinal relation, or lengthwise whereby the brush will be brought into a right angle relation with the handle.

Formed on the upper face of the boss or stud f is a small knob k adapted to spring engage into the indent or socket c to centrally fix the relation of the brush B in the channel a when being slid into co-operative relation with the handle A, the shape and flexibility of the material from which the handle is formed allowing for sufiicient flex, without fracturing the top portion of the channel.

Owing to the rectangular formation of the boss or stud f the brush may be forced into the channel sideways or lengthwise so that the brush may be set in the handle longitudinally or crosswise.

In the modified forms as shown in FIGURES 4, 5, 6, and 7, 8 and 9, the means for co-operatively assembling the brush with the handle are the same, the difference being in the shape of the boss or stud f by which a greater number of angles of the brush B may be adjustably arranged with the handle A.

In FIGURE 4 the channel It) has semi-circular cuts 1111 formed in the oppositely formed flanges 12l2, corresponding with the size and shape of the shank of the boss or stud 14 and formed therewith is a hexagon shaped head 15. The width between the flanges 12-12 being narrower than the diameter of the shank 13 will force the flanges to spring apart as the brush member B is being forced into the channel It owing to the flexibility of the material from which the handle A is composed to allow the shank 13 to engage in the semicircular cuts 1111.

In the modified form FIGURE 7, the means for cooperatively assembling the brush B with the handle A is the same as in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5, with the difference that the oppositely opposed cuts 11'11 in the edges of the flanges 12li2 are straight recesses instead of semicircular, and the shape of the shank 13' is hexagon having a circular shaped head formed integrally therewith.

While I have herein shown and particularly described embodiments of the various features of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to precise details of construction and arrangements herein shown and specifically described, as changes may readily be made without departing from the nature of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

An elongated, horizontal tooth brush comprising a handle, a channel formed transversely in an outer end of the said handle on the lower side thereof and having grooves in opposite side walls extending transversely of the handle, a brush member detachably fitted in the said channel, said brush member comprising a back and bristles extending downwardly therefrom, a boss, having a plurality of pairs of parallel sides, formed and projecting upwardly from the back of said brush member, an indent formed in the upper face of said channel, said boss on said brush member adapted to slidably engage in cooperative relation in the said channel at various angles with the said handle, the material forming the channel being sufficiently flexible and adapted to engage a pair of said parallel sides of the boss in such a manner as to cause said boss to spring engage into the said indent to maintain said brush member in cooperative relation with the said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 959,574 Moore May 31, 1910 1,835,319 Myers Dec. 8, 1931 2,114,149 Pensky Apr. 12, 1938 2,133,704 Jones Oct. 18, 1938 2,503,134 Schroeder Apr. 4, 1950 2,772,434 Solomon Dec. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 501,724 Belgium June 1952 

